Doctor Who's Lead Writer and Executive Producer Steven Moffat has been chatting exclusively to UK television listings magazine, TV & Satellite Week. During the interview Steven was asked about a return for for former companion K-9, to which he replied:

"I love K-9! I nearly put him in Last Christmas.

I had a whole scene where the Doctor was pointing out how ludicrous Santa Claus is, having a reindeer with a glowing nose and so on... and then in comes K-9.

Completely daft, but he's brilliant. I'm totally up for K-9 when we have the right idea."

Steven, who also hints at a project outside Doctor Who and Sherlock (but is currently too busy for for a while), also discusses leaving the show:

"I thought I'd be gone by now, to be honest. I thought I would get tired by it, and of it. But I haven't. If anything, I think I cope with the stress and fatigue better than I used to.

So I take it a year at a time. But they might decide that they've had enough of me and kick me out!"

Steven also goes on to describe Clara's exit in Doctor Who Series 9 as "traumatic" and does not rule out a return for the Mondasian Cybermen, stating it's not "impossible". The full interview can be read in the current issue of TV & Satellite Week, on sale now.